


New Dawn

by CineDrones



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Angst, Family, First Time, Homophobia, Italian Character(s), M/M, Multi, Psychological Torture, Religious Fanaticism, Romance, Slash, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2019-12-26 06:39:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18277853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CineDrones/pseuds/CineDrones
Summary: Dominic Howard - drummer of the famous rock band Muse -  is going through a personal crisis after he went from "zero-worries-rockstar" to "daddy". A single father, moreover.He will find his saving grace in the young Matthew, who will help him to manage his new life.But who will take care of the young boy and kiss away his fears? Who will save him from his smothery, dysfunctional family?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, well.. it's a little weird introduce myself into the Muse fandom with a fic after years and years of silent reading.  
> I've been spying on you, yes...you know, trying to get everything that could help me to improve my writing skills - especially in English 'cause it's not my first language (so please, I'm sorry if I write silly sentences sometimes but don't be too hard on me! I can always bake a cake for you to apologize!) *I'm Italian, btw.  
> After this required preparatory introduction let's talk about the fic...right?  
> \---
> 
> It's going to be a long fic and I hope to be free enough from Uni and social life (Woo.. a life out of the web? Yes, it's me) to post on a regular basis!  
> Nothing else to add to the summary at the moment... there will be lots of things to explain during the story but I don't want to spoil anything yet.  
> Hope you'll enjoy this short prologue (next chapters will be longer).  
> As you all already know: this is just a fictional product of my mind, the real characters present in it never done this things and I just used their names with no discriminatory nor profit intent.

Have you ever noticed how much white is there in almost every hospital in the world?

Dominic never felt so agitated as that day, seated in a noisy white corridor, watching nurses in white uniforms passing by him, waiting for something which would surely turn his life around; he just could not find out yet if it would give his life a positive turn or if it would be the very beginning of his end. Was he ready?

Sighing, Dominic leaned his head against the wall behind his seat, his feet could not stop drumming restlessly on the floor and his teeth started chewing the inside of his cheeks.

Abruptly a door opened and the doctor came out, his green scrubs was covered in dark stains and he looked tired. A mid-age woman moved toward the man, followed by a younger man, and after a few words from the doctor, she started crying soundlessly while the boy started trembling. After some seconds the young man started punching furiously at the wall, the woman sat on a bench with her blank stare fixed on Dominic.

A shiver ran down Dominic's spine and even if he could not understand a word of what that doctor said speaking in Italian, those eyes said everything he didn't want to hear.

\- No - he whispered but the woman nodded sadly, lowering her gaze.

Dominic popped up, his head started spinning and tears flooded his eyes.

The young boy, who had just stopped punching the wall, wildly grabbed his shoulder and pushed Dominic toward a wall of the corridor, pinning him there.

\- Are you happy now, Mr. Howard? - he spat just before some strong nurses could free the blonde man from his grip.

\- Marco! - the woman shouted before the boy could disappear behind the corner of the corridor and down the stairs, leaving the whole floor of the hospital in complete silence.

A bodyguard came up after a minute running toward the blonde.

\- Are you fine, Mr. Howard? - he said in a pretty bad English, checking his shivering client.

\- I am. I just need... I just don't understand - he managed to say, his gaze fixed on the woman next to him.

\- She's gone - the woman turned her watering eyes toward Dominic who started babbling nervously.

\- I'm sorry - he finally said, finding his voice again.

\- 's not your fault, Dominic. It's hard to accept, you know, but she knew it and... she wanted it - the woman stood up and walked exhausted the gap between her and the blonde man.

\- I should slap your face, Dominic Howard, but I won't - she stared at him, tears running down both their faces and then, against all odds, she grabbed him in a tight embrace, her hand pulling at his blonde hair.

\- Promise me you'll keep her safe, please. Promise me, Dom! -

Dominic nodded speechlessly, suddenly registering in his mind that _she_ was waiting for him somewhere behind that door.

Trembling he pulled away from her body, eyes locked into hers.

\- What if I'm not good enough, Eleonora? - he barely murmured.

\- Do you really think she could have left something so important to you if she thought you were not good enough? - Eleonora caressed the younger man cheek, tenderly.

\- No one has ever born already knowing how to be a good parent, Dominic. You will learn, trust me - she wiped her tears away - now please, go in and meet your daughter- she added, smiling sadly.

Dom could not stop himself to notice the tremendous pain hidden behind her smile.

\- I'm sorry, Eleonora. I'd just wish this day could be happy for you as well -he said, watching the woman facing away and putting on her coat - Why don't you come in with me to meet your granddaughter? - he added.

The woman froze in place then faced the blonde guy, hesitant.

\- Please? - Dominic begged, watching the older woman while a nurse opened the door and invited them to follow her.

Eleonora nodded shyly and followed the tiny girl in white uniform and Dominic down the corridors towards the neonatal ICU.

The girl whispered something in Italian propping the door open to the pair.

\- She said we must be silent and wear the scrubs and a cap - Eleonora translated what the nurse just said to Dom before a man could shove the garments in their arms.

When they were both properly ready, finally the man opened a door and the sound of several newborns crying reached Dominic's ears, leaving him scary and stoned.

After a few deep breaths, he walked in, following Eleonora: in the room there were four babies in as many incubators.

A nurse was checking the vitals parameters of a little patient and Dominic slowly approached the tiny crib.

\- Is it..she..? - he asked, the baby crying and kicking harder than ever.

The nurse smiled, blushing - Oh no, Mr. Howard - she answered in a shaky English. - HE is not your baby - she remarked, pointing towards another crib - Your little fighter is in there -.

Dominic shuffled to the right incubator, Eleonora leaned against the closed door, watching him.

The man held his breath and laid his grey eyes on the tiny body of his daughter for the first time ever.

The little girl seemed asleep, her little face covered in tubes and a few electrodes connected to her bare thorax.

He felt a lump in his throat, goosebumps started running over his skin.

\- What are you thinking? - Eleonora asked softly, reaching the crib.

\- She is so small - Dominic said shakily - and her skin is ...purple! - he added worriedly.

Eleonora smiled briefly, the pain still too strong to be overwhelmed by anything.

\- She was born less than two hours ago, Dom. And she is a preemie after all -

\- Your baby was in a rush, wasn't she, daddy? - another nurse said storming into the room and approaching them, starting checking the monitors.

\- She seems very strong for a seven months old baby! - she continued happily, talking in fluent English - You are a fighter, aren't you? Little... - she frowned, unable to read a name next to the birth code on the tag around the baby girl wrist. - So, what's this princess' name? - she asked the pair, pushing her hands into to holes of the crib to adjust the tubes connected to the tiny body.

The girl tried to whine, her little limbs shaking playfully and then her eyelids opened revealing her big grey-green eyes for a brief moment. Dominic's eyes grew bigger than ever, glued to the small frame behind the glass wall.

\- She is tired - the nurse explained, rubbing softly the bare skin of the girl before to pull her hands out - You have to leave now, I'm sorry -.

She motioned to Dom and Eleonora to follow her out.

Out of the neonatal ICU room, Dom regained his voice after several minutes.

\- She's my daughter - he said shocked, searching a sort of confirm into the women's eyes.

Eleonora nodded, a shaking hand shyly reach the blonde man's shoulder, squeezing it softly, tears already leaving her red-rimmed eyes.

\- Mr. Howard - the nurse shyly ended that tender moment - I.... later you should fill some files. Routine, you know. And you have to choose her name in three days - then she addressed towards the older woman - Mrs. Padovani, I'm afraid you'll have to fill some form too due to the demise of your ... -

-... my daughter - Eleonora ended the sentence and started talking fast in Italian, leaving Dominic unsure of what to do or say next.

The nurse led them towards the hospital hall downstairs and politely said them goodbye.

They walked together out the door, Marco was smoking his umpteenth cigarette sitting on a bench in the hospital green area.

He furiously threw another bitter gaze towards Dominic, his bodyguard just a few meters away ready to intervene whenever necessary.

Eleonora sighed, fixing her eyes to the stormy sky.

\- Such a shame the most beautiful day of your life had to be the worst nightmare of mine - she said sadly, leaving Dominic temporary speechless.

\- It's going to rain soon - she added softly, Marco motioned her to leave, still standing next to the bench.

\- Let's keep in touch - Dom hurried to say before the woman could walk away.

\- I'd wish it. Good luck - Eleonora looked into his eyes for the last time and then turned around, walking slowly towards Marco.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Later that evening, Dominic was watching his daughter struggling inside her little crib from behind a big window. The mere thought of that little human being "his" sent shivers down his spine.

\- What have we done? - he asked even if she couldn't answer to him anymore.

He kept pacing up and down the corridor for some minutes before his bodyguard approached him.

\- Sir, my turn should end in about 60 minutes - he tried to say using his best English skills, handing a cup of coffee to his client.

\- I bought it to the vending machine. Not the best coffee in town - he excused himself while Dominic smiled wearily and accepted the cup.

\- Thanks, Mario. I guess we can go back to my hotel: it's half past ten and there's nothing I can do here. And I need to rest - Mario nodded, accompanying him to the car and driving to the hotel through the traffic of Milan.

Dominic barely registered the hot water running down his body during the shower still too overwhelmed by the events of the day.

He put his head on the pillow - his hair still wet, eyes burning because of all the tears of the day.

He lied supine for a few minutes hearing to his heartbeat in the dense silence of the room; old and new fears started rumbling in his mind.

Dominic grabbed the iPhone placed useless on the bedside table scrolling through the dozens of missing calls and unread messages: his bandmates sent him tons of text and vocal messages, most of them asking where he was.

He clicked to listen to a vocal message sent by Tom Kirk, the singer of his band and his best friend.

 

_\- Where the fuck are you, mate? Dom please, answer to our calls, for Christ!We are really worried about the... you know... Answer dude,don't be a twat! -_

 

Dom sighed starting typing his answer, not in the mood for a conversation.

 

_I’m ok... In Milan now. Call you asap._

 

He tossed the phone aside, tears running down his cheeks again, too many thoughts running through his weary mind.

How could a man like him be a father? A good one, moreover?

He grabbed his phone again looking among his contacts for the only person he knew he could always lean on.

The phone started ringing and after some moments someone took the call on the other side.

_\- Hello? -_ a soft feminine voice asked.

\- Hi, it's Dom here mum - he whispered, his shaky words made him look like a scary child after a bad prank.

_\- My baby boy! How are you? -_ the woman just finished his question before hearing her own son sobbing on the phone.

_\- What's wrong, honey? -_ she hurried to ask.

_\- Tell me, we'll find a solution -_ she added gently, listening to nothing but Dominic sobbing.

\- Mom, I think I've made a mistake I can't erase - he said before words started pouring down on their own mixed with his tears.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dominic Howard - drummer of the famous rock band Muse - is going through a personal crisis after he went from "zero-worries-rockstar" to "daddy". A single father, moreover.  
> He will find his saving grace in the young Matthew, who will help him to manage his new life.  
> But who will take care of the young boy and kiss away his fears? Who will save him from his smothery, dysfunctional family?

It was pretty late - or maybe a lot early in the morning - when Dominic hung up the phone. The room was way too silent and he could hear his thoughts driving him crazy, again.

He tried to sleep but, after an hour of rolling sleepless in the bed, he finally got up and reached the big window on his tremble legs: outside it was still dark and millions of lights brightened the big Italian city. It was still too early, fuck.

The nurses told him visitors were allowed just after 9 am but time seemed to be frozen to Dom and when he checked his watch it was just 3 am. He felt like his body and his mind were trying to follow different paths, tearing him apart: his mind kept screaming "you screwed up everything, go away!" but his body was under a kind of spell and could not stand to be away from that little creature he only met a few hours ago any longer.

He threw his tired body on the soft mattress again, his face buried into the sheets while another deep sob left his lips. That was a shitty situation but his mother was coming to help him. Dominic began falling asleep thinking about how she could resolve this big mess he made and found no solutions by the time he started sleeping soundly.

The famous Apple ringtone woke the sleepy blonde not much time later. He checked the number and took the call when he realized it was his mother calling.

\- Mom? - his voice was still rough.

\- _Dom! Where are you? I landed in Milan but you didn't tell me where I should reach you. And I thought you would come to bring me to the airport_ -

\- What time is it? You said your flight had to land about 10:30 am, mom! -

\- _Right, and now it's 10:40 am, Dominic!_ \- she said ironically even if there was any trace of it in her voice.

The blonde guy jumped out of the bed and found out the sun was high in the sky by then.

\- Shit, shit! Sorry. Ok, take a taxi or I could send you my driver or... -

\- _Don't panic, sweetie. Just tell me where I should reach you_ \- the woman's voice seemed to be soft again.

Dominic gave the hotel address to his mother and started to make himself acceptable after the messy day he had the day before. He watched at his face in the large mirror on the sink, his eyes were red and the beard was growing. Everything was going to be extremely hard in his life from that moment on.

Sally crossed the hall of the luxury hotel about thirty minutes after she hung on the phone and grabbed a taxi. She was trying to hold on but she risked to explode at each breath she took and had to keep his son as calm as possible, even if he was in serious troubles right then. She always helped that little hothead but that wasn't a bad joke or a no-brainer action Dominic used to do as a kid: he had a baby and moreover, he was a single father! Sally wasn't sure he could handle it but she couldn't leave his son and, more importantly, that harmless child by their own.

She sighed and reached the receptionist, looking for Dominic Howard. The sharp-dressed man informed the man of her presence and a few moments later, Dom rushed out of an elevator and jumped in his mother's lap like a frighted baby deer.

\- Hey, dear. It will be ok - Sally tried to soothe her baby who kept shaking in her arms and led them to the restaurant of the hotel, where few hosts were still having breakfast.

\- We'll have more privacy in here - she stated and took a seat at a slightly isolated table in the room. Dominic took her hand and Sally felt the anger toward him suddenly disappearing: he could be a stupid man sometimes but he was her son and, deeply inside, she knew he could go through that with a little help.

\- Dominic, you can do this - she softly squeezed the hand her son put in hers.

\- I'm not sure - it was barely audible.

\- I am. You said that girl... Camilla, right? - Dominic nodded - She was sure about that too - it was a simple argument.

\- What if I am not? I could hurt her or, I don't know, be too strict or too permissive... - he was hyperventilating now.

\- Wait, wait. Dominic, you'll think about it at the right time. Now we need to organize everything for her and try to keep her safe from those stupid gossip magazines and TV shows. Do you agree? - she had already begun to arrange a comfortable solution for Dom and his newborn daughter back in the UK.

\- But we have a more important task to accomplish now - she was serious again.

\- What? - Dominic was tense.

\- Your daughter needs a name! We can't keep calling her "baby", "child" or else - Sally was trying to cheer the blonde guy up and Dominic laughed sadly while the word "daughter" flashed into his mind. It was both scary and beautiful.

 

* * *

 

They left for the hospital after lunch (Sally had booked a room in the same hotel, of course).

Dominic led the woman across the hospital to reach the NICU.

When they arrived at the large window which overlooked the intensive care area, Dominic pointed to the little body who was sleeping in a tiny crib, covered in all the tubes he saw the day before.

\- She seems so peaceful - Sally was entranced by the view of that little thing.

\- 'Cos she still has no idea of who her father is! - Dominic stated, no irony in his voice, and press his palm to the glass as he was trying to trespass it to reach the baby. A smiling nurse approached them and invite the pair to follow her into the room. Once they were ready, the door was unlocked and the soft whining of the babies in the room invaded them. Dominic was tense again and had started chewing his inner cheek.

\- Stop it - his mother whispered. They slowly approached the incubator where the baby girl was sleeping and Sally squeezed hard the blonde's hand when she opened up her weak eyes and smiled lazily at them.

\- She recognized you! - a nurse with a strong Italian accent exclaimed cheerfully.

\- Do you think so? - Dominic asked excitedly.

-Actually... I don't know. Her vision is still blurry but maybe she had sensed you. The mystery of life! - she walked past them to check the baby parameters.

\- Is she ok? - Sally asked mesmerized by the baby movements.

\- Yes, she seems to be stronger than we expected. Even if her heart is still weak - Dominic felt like if a stone had just hit him straight to his heart and went pale.

\- Nothing serious sir, it often happens to premature newborns - she tried to keep the brand new dad and the grandmother as calm as possible.

Dominic slowly went closer to the crib to spy the baby girl who was keeping moving nonsensically her limbs. - Do you want to touch her? - another nurse who just entered the room asked.

\- Could I? - he looked for Sally with his eyes, in panic.

\- You should - his mother simply replied.

One of the nurses approached the incubator and waved for Dom to come next to her. - Do you see those tiny ... holes? - the nurse was unsure about the right English term but Dominic understood nevertheless and nodded. - You have to put your hands into them, like that, so you can reach your baby - she explained showing in the meanwhile how to do and touching the girl's body.

Dominic swallowed the big lump in his throat and gently put the gloved hands into the portholes. His eyes were glued to the crib, careful to every wrong move he could have done. When his covered fingertips finally found the baby's skin, he felt his heart going crazy and for a moment thought it was the beginning of a heart attack.

\- Wow - he whispered when the little one casually grabbed one of his fingers into her tiny hand and froze on the place terrified to hurt the girl moving his own hand.

\- Don't worry, just remove your hands softly - the gentle lady who showed him how to go in not was helping out of the holes.

\- It was... sorry, I need some fresh air - Dominic rushed out of the room and Sally followed him into the inner garden of the hospital, finding the guy nervously smoking a cigarette.

\- What's wrong, my boy? - she sat on the bench next to him, patting his shoulder.

\- It's unreal - he tried to explain what he felt but words were useless, insufficient to describe his feelings.

\- I know -

\- How can I keep her safe if I'm scared as hell to break her if I touch her? - he was on the edge of another crying jag. - It was a mistake - he whispered and took another hit off his cigarette.

Sally grabbed his hair and obliged her son to face her, flames were burning in the deep of her eyes. - Don't you even call her like that again - she hissed. - Don't you, never - then hold him tight in a hug, the blonde head was buried into the older woman breast and little sobs still shook his back.

\- It will be ok, don't worry - Sally whispered and soothed one more time her big baby boy. - Let's go to the cafeteria - she proposed.

They talked about the new arrangments they had to do to welcome the newborn into Dom's house during the coffee break but were pretty silent when they went back to the NICU at half-past 6 pm. The day had passed extremely fast. They kept watching at the cribs behind the glass for a while, everything seemed to be ok now.

\- Did you choose a name for that sweetie pie? - Sally asked.

\- Not yet - he was pretty mesmerized by the girl in the crib.

\- What about her mother's name? - she suggested.

\- Camilla begged me not to name the girl after her if... well... if the baby had survived - he started trembling again and was nibbling at his nails.

\- She had to be a wise girl -

\- She was - it was all Dominic managed to say before a nurse rushed towards the parameters monitors connected to his daughter in a hurry.

\- What's happening? - Dominic and Sally were both in panic, more nurses were entering the room behind the glass after a doctor.

\- What's wrong? - Dominic yelled and hit the glass with a fist. The doctor looked at him and ordered something to the nurses: after some instants, a thick curtain was covering the window hiding that view to the girl's relatives. A nurse came out and approached them - Keep calm - she managed to say before both Dom and Sally could ask anything.

\- What's happening? - Sally asked while Dominic nervously waited for an answer.

\- The girl is having some problems -

\- Nothing serious, right? - Dominic attempted, waiting for a positive response.

\- Sadly I can't tell you anything about it, sir. You will have a response when the situation will be stable again - then she rushed in again.

\- What does it mean? - Dominic was having another breakdown. He had more of them in the last few days than in his whole life.

He was pacing the corridor up and down and kept doing it for at least two hours while Sally sat on a bench, waiting for a report about the girl's health. - They have to tell us something, I'm going crazy! - Dominic was losing his nerve.

Some nurses entered the corridor again and Dominic was on them at the speed of light.

\- What's going on? - he almost screamed.

\- Mister Howard, your daughter had heart failure - one of them said.

\- What? - Dominic felt his legs shaking like leaves in Autumn but thanks to Sally who held him, he didn't fall.

\- What happened? - Sally asked.

\- Her heart had a collapse. We are trying to close the P.D.A right now - she was helping Sally to assist Dominic before he could fall and managed to let him sit on a bench.

\- The situation is still delicate, we will update you as soon as possible - and then the little group disappeared behind the door again.

\- God - Dominic was white as a ghost, his head was buried into his large hands and tears had started to fall afresh. Sally was speechless and her heart was broken both for the health of her brand new granddaughter and for the bad state of her beloved son.

She sighed and wished for his gone husband to appear now: he was much stronger than she ever had been, he was the soul of the family, the one who always knew what to do and what to say. She still remembered the day Dominic came out as bisexual and his poor John just said he was happy until his son was too. That had been the moment she understood she had married the best man she ever met and found a wise and honest father for her children. At that very moment, she was sure John would slap Dominic hard because of his reckless decision but she could even picture in her mind the image of a tender embrace between father and son and the susurrate promise from John to Dom that everything would be okay. But he wasn't there anymore.

It was past after 11 pm when a nurse submerged again.

\- I'm sorry, the situation went worse and the girl had a respiratory problem during the surgery - Dominic was bubbling, his mind was empty but the words the nurse just said.

\- She's getting better now! - she was fast to add.

\- What are the chances that she will survive? - Sally questioned.

\- I cannot tell you more, I'm sorry - her eyes were sad and weakly she walked away.

The pair sat on the bench again with their red-rimmed eyes and a few minutes before midnight they fell asleep, a nurse passed them but had no backbone and didn't wake them up. It was almost morning when a kind hand shook him out of his sleep.

\- Good morning mister Howard - it was the doctor, whispering to him.

\- How is she? - Dominic asked fast, his voice still rough. Sally stirred and woke up too.

\- Everything went good. She's out of danger now but she will need to spend extra time in our hospital because of her recovery - he explained. Both Dominic and his mother took a big sigh of relief, a bright smile crossed the guy face.

\- She's alive! - he yelled when the doctor left and enfolded Sally in a tight embrace leaving she breathless.

\- Dom, Dom! Leave me if you don't want me to die instead! - she joked.

\- Sorry, mom! She's alive! - he was incredulous and reached the only window in the corridor and opened it to inhale the fresh air of the morning. Sally moved closer to him and saw his eyes glistening with happiness.

\- You will be a good father - she tenderly stated and caressed Dom's harsh cheek.

The boy smiled and inhaled again. He looked up in the sky, his mind going to Camilla and internally thanking her for what she had done.

\- Alba! - he suddenly exclaimed.

\- What? -

\- Camilla told me "alba" means "dawn" in Italian when she tried to teach me her language - he chuckled.

\- Such a waste of time with a dummie like you! - Sally fooled him around, tears falling from her newly cheerful eyes.

- Her name will be Alba - he stated again.

\- 'Cos you became a father right while this dawn breaks into the sky - she added watching with the same glistening grey eyes of her son the sun rising into the red and golden sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you remeber when I wrote "I will post on regular basis"?  
> Forget it, life seems to have other plans for me everytime I try to write or modify/review my stories or the chapters of this one.  
> Right now there's this thing they call "thesis" to write and it seems that if I don't write it, I cannot take my degree (choices, choices...).  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter even if the story is still at the very beginning and it's still pretty slow (Matthew will appear soon... STAY TUNED! ...send me your impressions, opinion and everything else I could use to improve myself and this story!!)

**Author's Note:**

> It's done... let me know what you're thinking about this introduction (yes, I know..I tend to dilate a lot my stories but I swear everything I wrote in the prologue needed to be there and you will find out why in the next chapters!!)  
> Comments are more than accepted! See you soon (?)


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